medford transcript writings and some AMG
COFFEE 'N' SMOKES March 17, 2005
http://www2.townonline.com/medford/artsLifestyle/view.bg?articleid=204224
Medford Transcript > Arts & Lifestyle
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Coffee 'N' Smokes is on the air
By Joe Viglione
Correspondent Thursday, March 17, 2005
A fixture on Medford's 91.5 FM for nearly eight years is the program called "Coffee 'n' Smokes" hosted by DJ Alex. It currently airs the first and third Monday nights of each month from 8-10 p.m.
The show features, according to the jock's ever present e-mail promos, "new and vintage garage/punk, surf, psychedelic, rockabilly, pop obscurities and a little bit o' greasy R&B here and there where it fits."
Along with broadcasting on the public airwaves at the aforementioned 91.5 frequency people can tune in around the world via the show's Web sites, which include http://www.wmfo.org and http://coffeensmokes.freeservers.com.
The host also lets those in foreign countries know when to tune in - 5-7 p.m. Pacific Time, 2-4 a.m., Tuesdays in Paris/Rome and Amsterdam, 3-5 a.m. for Athens, 10 a.m. to 12 noon Tokyo time, a clever little promo tool which, no doubt, gets results on the Web.
"Coffee 'n' Smokes" originally aired on Saturday mornings from 6-9 a.m. and in September of 2002, the time slot changed to 7-10 a.m. On Jan. 15, Alex vacated that period noting, "There were many conflicts with my kids' sports activities. I was awarded a slot on alternating Monday nights from 8-10 p.m. which better fits my new schedule."
As a guest, Alex's voice graced the very popular "On The Town with Mikey Dee" from March 2000 through December 2002, hosting 40 broadcasts. He returned to the guest-hosting roster this past December and makes himself available on an as-needed basis.
His start in radio?
"Way back in 1981 in the Broadcasting Club at Middlesex Community College. It was a closed-circuit affair the broadcasted to the captive audiences in the cafeterias and student lounges. I got the bug to broadcast out of frustration when WBCN refused to play my requests for "No Surfin' In Dorchester Bay" (a song by Richie Parsons of the band "Unnatural Axe). Back then they used to brag about all of the records they had in their archives and that they had no playlists but it wouldn't be long before I found that to be a, um...falsehood. I transferred to Salem State College in 1982 and held a spot at their campus station WMWM for a few semesters but gave it up to work to pay for rent, beer, etc., heh heh..."
In 1993, an old friend of Alex's was visiting from England and he brought along a demo cassette of his band. Upon leaving he asked the DJ if he could pass it around to the local college stations in the area.
"One of my stops was WMWM and in a wave of nostalgia I asked if there was room on the schedule for an alumnus," he said. "I would go on to revive (with Zippo Raid's Joe Kelley) the local rock show there as well as co-host jazz and blues broadcasts until May of 1997.
"I moved to WMFO in Medford in April of 1997. I was awarded the early morning Saturday slot and thanks in part to the Internet and Internet broadcasting, the show became fairly popular, attracting notice in that time from the likes of Little Steven Van Zandt and the late Greg Shaw and I've been able to use it as a vehicle to help promote local bands that I dig like The Downbeat 5, Muck and The Mires, Triple Thick, The Crybabies and The Charms among others.
"My annual Coffee 'n' Smokes Benefits for WMFO have raised a couple thousand for the station and another is planned for Sept. 24."
Though born in Cambridge, raised in Arlington and currently residing on the North Shore with his wife & kids, Alex keeps Medford radio fans happy with his eclectic blend of music that has a truly devoted following.
The Internet broadcasts are streamed live when Alex does his show from Medford, but he's working on a way to archive old "Coffee 'n' Smokes" shows on his PC at home to post to the Coffee 'n' Smokes Web site.
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P.J. Shapiro performs at Avenue C's
By Joe Viglione
Correspondent
Thursday, February 17, 2005
http://www2.townonline.com/medford/artsLifestyle/view.bg?articleid=185860
Songwriter P.J. Shapiro, who moved to Medford from Newton in the year 2000, was the featured performer at Avenue C's Thursday night open mic on Feb. 10. Of course a mini snowstorm hit a few hours before and during show time, but that added to the ambiance of the gig at the elegant new Malden nightclub located at 166 Eastern Ave., between Ferry Street and Eastern Avenue, at the Route 60 split.
Shapiro has an appealing voice and interesting lyrics - "Who knows which way the magma flow," he sings in "Continental Drift." When music fans hear the letters "P.J." they may first think of female singer P.J. Harvey or the band 40 Ft. Ringo's P.J. Farley, but Shapiro has something different to offer - a series of dark rolling essays accompanied by a folk guitar, which he manipulates in creative ways.
Live at the Avenue C showcase he set the mood by applying those subtle dynamics, kind of like a progressive rock band without the bombast. It's an interesting concept that demands attentiveness and was embraced by the ever growing crowd at organizer Jeff Munro's Thursday evening get-togethers.
The event itself was impressive, a guitarist named Randy coming all the way from the South Shore, other participants sometimes showing up from New Hampshire or other parts unknown to the local Medford/ Malden/ Arlington region.
After author Rushworth M. Kidder (from Maine) was interviewed for a cable show at around 8:45 p.m., singer Donny Schultz began the open mic - Schultz requesting to open for P.J. Shapiro, which shows the respect fellow musicians have for the performer.
The featured artist then took the staging area in front of a fireplace and black drape backdrop and began his set. The only "cover" song performed by Shapiro was Joss Whedon's theme song to the sci-fi TV show "Firefly." It's available only in secret places on the Web, one of those little treats performers put out for the world to hunt down and cherish.
Another song, "Justice," doesn't appear on the singer's 12 track "I Know What You're Made Of" CD from 2001, but it has the same style and flavor as the excellent material on that disc. More information about the CD can be found on http://www.pjshapiro.com/
The singer was thankful that the crowd would "brave the elements; hope it's been rewarding" he said. The applause in response was sincere - the other musicians in attendance seem to have a camaraderie which spills over to the non-participants, those just walking in for a beer or some of the excellent food served at the club.
Promoter Jeff Munro is also the station manager at Arlington's Comcast Cable station. He's been putting open mics together for at least six years and has a handle on bringing like talents together for what was one of the more fun nights this jaded writer has experienced in quite some time.
Kevin McQuilken appeared after Shapiro to play instrumental versions of songs ranging from The Police to the 60s hit "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" as well as the 1970s gem "Loving You" by Minnie Ripperton.
The level of musicianship was surprisingly very high for a suburban showcase, higher than many similar events found in Cambridge and Boston.
A pretty gal named Marissa showed up with her friends to join the event in a jam after songwriter David Munro played an excellent albeit brief collection of his tunes.
This club is something special - opening Labor Day weekend 2004 it has a New York-style decor that adds to the legitimacy of the artist mix. In other words - it's a classy place!
Bulldog's "NO"
Produced and played by drummer Dino Danelli and guitarist Gene Cornish of the Young Rascals, Bulldog's debut in 1972 opens with a heavy version of the Bobby Day number two hit from 1958, "Rockin' Robin," a performance which displays the strength and weakness of this ensemble. Bassist/lead vocalist Billy Hocher is a cross between Bob Tench of the Jeff Beck Group, Ian Lloyd of Stories, and Ralph Mormon of Savoy Brown. Read more here:
http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:gzftxql5ldfe
posted by wri @ 1:54 PM
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